Luxury Riverside Hotel Nestled in Berkshire

A riverside inn has stood on this incomparable site for 150 years, alongside the bustling bridges of Sonning. Today, The French Horn still overlooks a picturesque curve of the River Thames, shaded by weeping willows, and graced by swans and moorhens. Softly floodlit at night, the gardens offer a romantic riverside setting for summer dining, and pretty views on a chilly winter’s night.

The French Horn has charming bedrooms, including converted riverside cottages, and is most famous as a “Restaurant with Rooms”, with one of the finest wine cellars to be found in England. A particular speciality of the house is the spit-roasted local duck, which turns in front of the open fire in the bar.

A pretty private dining room adjoins the main restaurant, which in turn opens onto the sweeping lawns down to the river – an ideal setting for an intimate dinner, or a perfect Sunday lunch.

Naturally, many of their visitors take advantage of the hotel’s proximity to London. Reading station is a few minutes’ drive or taxi ride away, and a further short train journey will take you straight into Paddington station. The French Horn is the perfect location for a stress-free trip to the capital.
You can jump on a train and experience the amazing atmosphere, then escape back to a calmer section of the River Thames at The French Horn.

As well as London, there are many other attractions close to the hotel. Sunningdale and Wentworth golf courses are nearby – and Sonning on Thames itself has a scenic golf course. If you are going to the races at Ascot or Newbury, both racecourses are just a quick trip away. Henley on Thames, home of the famous regatta, is nearby – there is even a pleasant 9-mile riverside walk from Reading to Henley, which passes through Sonning on Thames.